Butter and other food products containing fats, such as dairy or other animal, bird or plant fats, are the staple part of traditional diets of many nations around the globe. On the one hand they provide humans, and some domesticated animals, with the source of energy and other essential nutrients, on the other hand their overconsumption results in increase of their blood lipids [for example B. Bronte-Stewart, British Medical Bulletin, v. 14, 3: 243-252; M. B. Katan, P. L. Zock, and R. P. Mensink Am J. Cli., Nutr 1994; 60 (suppl):lOl7S-22S]. There are many different types of animal, bird and plant fats and food products based on them, including butter, milk, dairy cream; lard; pork, beef, camel, goat; beef, mutton, goat and camel tallow; goat and camel fat; eggs, goose, duck and other poultry fat; liver pates; margarines, shortenings; coconut, palm and menhaden oils, and many products.
Consumption of fat containing products by humans results in increases in blood lipids and their overconsumption is one of the main dietary sources responsible for development of hyperlipidaemias, overload and inefficiency of lipid metabolism, which eventually lead to individuals becoming overweight and obesity, and epidemic spread of Metabolic Syndrome, Atherosclerosis and their clinical complications, such as Diabetes II and Cardio-Vascular Diseases (CVD).
It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the nutritional education, government policies, public awareness and food industry regulations to reduce overconsumption of fats in our diets. The introduction of new alternative substitutes for animal fat products for human consumption based on plant stanol esters has important but limited effect on the overall situation. The main reason is that human dietary tastes are formed in childhood and are very difficult to change in adults. Therefore, one of the main conditions for the success of the introduction of any potential new ways of food modulating technologies is its ability to achieve nutritional targets without changes in the taste and other basic properties of the consuming products.
Lycopene is known to be a potent antioxidant. Although 25 mg of lycopene and above is considered to be safe for certain periods of administration, it is far above the daily level which could be consumed with a diet rich with tomato or tomato processed products (about 6-10 mg). Daily consumption of 6-10 mg lycopene has been reported to have no effect on cholesterol or other blood lipids [Bose et al Singapore Med J 2007; 48 (5): 415-420; Upritchard et al Diabetes Care, 2000, 23 6: 733-735].